I spend a great deal of time carefully observing and recording Africa's rich diversity of fauna and flora. I love to be in the wilderness, exploring my subject matter and getting to know the animals really well.

Animal behaviour fascinates me. A young leopard exploring a new world, an alpha hyaena tenderly caring for her pups, giraffe bulls sparring with great arcs of their long necks, a dung beetle tirelessly gathering sustenance for its young. I can never get enough!

When the time comes to paint, my experience has taught me that what I leave out is just as important as what I put in. My stark, clean images concentrate exclusively on the animal and at the same time convey the wide-open spaces of Africa. If there is a [0x1]background[0x1] in my paintings, it[0x1]s there for a reason. My paintings are always about the animal. Choosing to put the focus of the painting wholly on the animal, there is no room for inaccuracy. That[0x1]s where my understanding of animals is invaluable.

The composition of my paintings is critical; based upon the law of proportion known as the "Golden Mean" - an aesthetic principle used by the ancient Greeks to create work that is easy on the eye.

My preferred painting medium is watercolour. This much under-rated medium is widely acknowledged by artists to be the most difficult. There is no room for error with watercolour - once it is on the paper, it is almost impossible to remove - so I work carefully and accurately. I'm not attempting to reproduce reality, so I want to work fairly loosely too. It is important for the viewer to be able to see the mark of the artist, the journey I have taken on the page. I don't want a slick look.

Price Range

US$ 339-339

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Exhibitions

Memberships:Society of Animal Artists (one of five South African artists)Artists for Conservation (AFC) (one of six South African artists)Associate of the Watercolour Society of South Africa (AWSSA)